Motor actuated by air



Jan. 2, 1968 L, PARR 3,360,926

Filed April 22, 1966 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Flg'z I I EDWARD L. FARR Jan. 2, 1968 E, L, FARR 3,360,926

MOTOR ACTUATED BY AIR Filed April 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 I m INVENTOR. F 'g 6 l EDWARD L. FARR PM 50 54 4 M Fig. 7 8 AT TOR/V578 United States Patent 3,360,926 MOTOR ACTUATED BY AIR Edward L. Parr, 301 N. Cuyamaca, El Cajon, Calif. 92101 Filed Apr. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 547,390 2 Claims. (Cl. 60-22) The present invention relates to an air actuated motor which is connected with a source of air under pressure and more particularly to an air actuated motor which is submerged in a body of water.

The invention contemplates an air actuated motor which is suitably supported in a body of water by a frame. The motor includes a rotor having a hub rotatably carried by the frame. This hub carries a plurality of expansible and contractible containers which are fixed radially of the hub. Each container is connectable through valve mechanisms with a source of air under pressure. The valve mechanism is provided for admitting a limited quantity of air to the containers, respectively, when they are in their lowermost position. The valve mechanism limits the quantity of air so admitted to less than that necessary to fully inflate the containers but admits suflicient air to increase buoyancy to impart rotary movement to the hub. Further inflation is effected due to progressive decreasing of the static head of water about the containers whereby the containers gain buoyancy, progressively.

The valve mechanism controls the exhausting of the air previously admitted when the containers are, respectively, in substantially their highest position, whereby they are collapsed to their fullest degree of collapsibility due to pressure about the same.

Preferably, the rotor includes open retainers for supporting the containers therein.

Heretofore, as is apparent from the disclosure in the Czechoslovakian Patent No. 77,646 and the United States Letters Patent to Hogg et al., No. 1,091,575, it has been the practice to fully inflate the containers by air under pressure when the containers were at their lowermost position. As previously set forth herein, the containers of the present invention are only partly inflated when in substantially their lowermost position and are expanded, i.e., inflated progressively as they move upwardly due to the progressive reductions of the static head of water.

Other features and the advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved water motor; part of the base, forming the air tank, is shown in section to disclose struts, and parts of two open container retainers are broken away to show one of the lower containers as only partly inflated and to show another of the upper containers as substantially fully inflated;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 3, but on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the motor looking in the direction of lines 33 of FIG. 1, a part thereof being in section to show how air is delivered through a rotor sup port pipe to the air inlet port in the hollow axle of the rotor;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary, sectional views taken, respectively, along lines 4-4 and 55 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary, sectional views taken, respectively, along lines 66 and 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the motor is shown at 20, the major portion or all thereof will be submerged in a body of water, such as the ocean or a lake. In the embodiment illustrated, the motor includes a base in the form of a rectangular, closed tank 22 which is adapted to rest on the bed of the body of water. Vertically extending reinforcing struts 24 are suitably connected to the bottom and top of the tank. Air under pres sure is forced into the tank 22 through a pipe 16. This pipe is connected to any desirable source of air under pressure, as, for example, the pump shown in my copending application Ser. No. 407,831, filed Oct. 30, 1964, now Patent No. 3,274,941.

Angularly disposed supports, in the form of pipes 28, support a hollow axle 30 of the rotor 32. At least one of these pipes is utilized for conducting air from the tank 22 to a pipe 34 which is disposed within the hollow axle 30. The ends of the axle 30 are closed by caps 36 and 38. A coupling 40 connects the interior of the hollow axle 30 with a pipe 42. The end of this pipe extends to above the surface of the water in which the motor is submerged.

The rotor 32 includes an elongated hub 44 which is rotatably mounted on the axle 30. Endwise movements of the hub 44 are limited by rings 46 which surround the axle and are held in place by set screws 48. A plurality of radially extending pipes 50 are suitably connected with the hub 44 and the outer ends of each of these pipes are connected, respectively, with an expansible and contractible container 52. These containers are in the form of bellows and may be constructed of rubber or synthetic rubber. The containers are each surrounded by a retainer 54 which is also carried adjacent the end of the pipe 50. The ends of these retainers 54 are open so that the containers 52 are subjected to the static head of water. The hollow axle 30 is provided with aligned ports 56 and 58. As seen from FIG. 4, the ports 56 and 58 are elongated clockwise as shown at 60 and 62, respectively. These ports are diametrically disposed and preferably disposed at the bottom and top of the axle 30. The hub is provided with a series of ports 64 leading, respectively, to the series of pipes 50.

The port 56 in the axle and the ports 64 in the hub form valve mechanism for controlling the flow of air from the pipe 34 to the radially extending pipes 50 and the containers 52 and the port 58 in the axle and the ports 64 in the hub form valve mechanism for controlling the flow of air from the containers through the pipes 50 to the interior of the hollow axle 30 whence the air escapes through the coupling 40 and pipe 42 to the atmosphere. It will be observed that the pipe 34, which is connected with the air under pressure from the tank, opens into the elongated port 56 of the axle 30.

The rotor 32 is herein shown as rotatable in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawings. It will be observed from FIGS. 2 and 4 that when one of the container supporting pipes 50 is in its lowermost position, the port 64 leading thereto is in alignment with the port 56-60 whereby air is admitted under pressure through that pipe to the container 52 carried thereby. Preferably, at that time the port 64, leading from the diagrammatically opposed pipe 50, is in alignment with the port 58-62 whereby air from the container, carried by the last mentioned pipe 50, is exhausted through that pipe into the hollow axle 30 and can escape to atmosphere through the coupling 40 and pipe 42.

The power take off from the hub 44 can be effected in any suitable manner. For illustrative purposes only, the power take off comprises a beveled gear 66, which is suitably attached to the hub 44. This gear 66 drives a beveled gear 68 which is journaled in a bracket 70, carried by the axle 30. The beveled gear drives a shaft 72, which can extend above the water level.

The utility of the present invention lies primarily in 3 the conservation of this supply of air under pressure to the containers.

It will also be observed that as soon as the trailing edge of a clockwise moving port 64, passes beyond the left edge of the inlet port 56, the air flow from the tank through port 56 ceases, whereby the container 52, served by that port 64, is only partly inflated, i.e., it is inflated to the degree only to, in co-operation with containers previously passing port 56, assist in elevating the left side of the rotor. FIG. 8 shows the condition of a container after it has been partly inflated by air from the tank. Progressive inflation of the container continues as it moves upwardly due to the progressive decrease of static head pressure of water thereabout. Thus, the air emanating from the tank is conserved, materially. Full inflation of the container is depicted in FIG. 6.

Thus, from the foregoing, it is apparent that the containers, sequentially receive air from a source of pressure for only partly inflating the same, when they are subst-antially in their lowermost positions, respectively, inflation progressing progressively in their upward movement to enhance buoyancy, and that they are completely deflated sequentially when they attain substantially their highest positions.

While the form of embodiment herein shown and described, constitutes preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adopted falling within the scope of the claims that follow.

I claim:

1. An air actuated motor of the type which is connected with a source of air under pressure, said motor comprising in combination:

(A) A frame;

(B) means for supporting the frame submerged in a body of water;

(C) a rotor including:

(1) a horizontally extending-hub rotatably carried by the frame and connected with a source of air under pressure;

(2) at least two expansible and contractible containers;

(3) means for supporting the containers radially spaced from and by the hub;

(4) conduits for air connecting the containers with the air from said source;

(5) valve means actuated by the rotation of the hub for admitting air to the containers, sequentially, only when the containers are, respectively, in substantially their lowermost position and for limiting the quantity of air so admitted to less than that necessary to fully inflate the same whereby further inflation is effected due to progressive decreasing of the static head of water about the containers as they move upwardly;

(6) and valve means actuated by the rotation of the hub for exhausting the admitted air from the containers, sequentially, when the containers are, respectively, in substantially their highest position, whereby they are collapsed to their fullest degree of collapsibility due to pressure about the same.

2. A motor defined in claim 1, characterized in that the rotor includes:

(7) open retainers attached to the hub and containing said containers.

No references cited.

MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT R. BUNEVICH, Examiner. 

1. AN AIR ACTUATED MOTOR OF THE TYPE WHICH IS CONNECTED WITH A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE, SAID MOTOR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A FRAME: (B) MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE FRAME SUBMERGED IN A BODY OF WATER; (C) A ROTOR INCLUDING: (1) A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING HUB ROTATABLY CARRIED BY THE FRAME AND CONNECTED WITH A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE; (2) AT LEAST TWO EXPANSIBLE AND CONTRACTIBLE CONTAINERS; (3) MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE CONTAINERS RADIALLY SPACED FROM AND BY THE HUB; (4) CONDUITS FOR AIR CONNECTING THE CONTAINERS WITH THE AIR FROM SAID SOURCE; (5) VALVE MEANS ACTUATED BY THE ROTATION OF THE HUB FOR ADMITTING AIR TO THE CONTAINERS, SEQUENTIALLY, ONLY WHEN THE CONTAINERS ARE, RESPECTIVELY, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THEIR LOWERMOST POSITION AND FOR LIMITING THE QUANTITY OF AIR SO ADMITTED TO LESS THAN THAT NECESSARY TO FULLY INFLATE THE SAME WHEREBY FURTHERE INFLATION IS EFFECTED DUE TO PROGRESIVE DECREASING OF THE STATIC HEAD OF WATER ABOUT THE CONTAINERS AS THEY MOVE UPWARDLY; (6) AND VALVE MEANS ACTUATED BY THE ROTATION OF THE HUB FOR EXHAUSTING THE ADMITTED AIR FROM THE CONTAINERS, SEQUENTIALLY, WHEN THE CONTAINERS ARE, RESPECTIVELY, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THEIR HIGHEST POSITION, WHEREBY THEY ARE COLLAPSED TO THEIR FULLEST DEGREE OF COLLAPSIBILITY DUE TO PRESSURE ABOUT THE SAME. 